Lunch counter stool



Original Filed Oct. 4, 1926 [1V VENTOR A TTORNE 2" Patented June 14,1932 PETER MADSEN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA LUNCH COUNTER STOOLApplication filed October 4, 1926, Serial 'No. 139,334. Renewed May 18,1929.

In restaurants having lunch counters it is customary to have a line ofstools on which customers sit while eating lunch which is placed on acounter in front of the stools.

These stools are provided with backs and the seat and back are mountedon a pedestal so as to revolve thereon. l -Jhen the customers leavethese stools it almost invariably happens that the backs of these stoolsare at various angles to the counter thereby presenting a ragged anduntidy appearance.

It is the object of my invention to so mount the seats that when acustomer enters, the back of the stool is at right angles to the counterso that he can easily occupy the same and then turn so as to face thecounter and when he leaves a stool, the seat and back will automaticallybe adjusted so that the backs of the unoccupied stools Will be in'alinement and at right angles to the counter thereby presenting a neatand orderly appearance.

In the drawing forming a part of this application Fig. 1 is a backelevation partly in section of a stool pedestal equipped with myimprovement and a fragment of the seat (the back omitted) in theposition, when the stool is unoccupied. Fig. 2 is a like view in theposition when the stool is occupied and before it resumes its normalposition. Fig. 3 is a 0 section on the line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig.

at is a section on the line l l of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, the pedestal 5 is of any suitableconfiguration. In the upper half of the pedestal is a chamber 6 in 5cross section angular, shown in the drawing as hexagonal. In chamber 6is mounted a spiral spring 7 which carries the pedestal cam 8 which isslidable but not revoluble in chamber 6. A depending post or seat cam 9l is secured to the seat 10 in any suitable manner and projectsdownwardly into chamber 6 with its cam face engaging the cam face of cam8. A shaft 10 extending downwardly from the seat passes through suitableopenings in the seat cam 9 and the pedestal cam 8, the said pedestal cambeing slidably mounted on said shaft. The upward pressure of spring 7causes the cam faces of these cams to engage as shown in Fig. 1 andthereby hold the seat backs in alinement. Cam 9 has a groove 11 thereinwhich is just below the top of the pedestal when the parts arepositioned for use. Pedestal 5 has a pierced lug 12 in the same plane asthe groove and a bolt 13 passes through this lug and across the groovethereby holding cam 9 revolubly mounted in pedestal 6, it beingunderstood that cam 9 is circular in cross section in the upper partthereof which enters pedestal 6.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a lunch counter stool having aback that permits of its seat being rotated and which will automaticallycause its back to aline with all the backs of the other unoccupiedstools when vacated by its occupant.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A lunch counter stool comprising a seat having a back; a cam securedto said seat, said cam being circular just below the seat and having agroove in said circular part; a pedestal having a chamber in the upperportion into which the seat cam projects; a cam in said chamber slidablebut not revoluble therein; a spring in said chamber bearing upon thelower cam; a pierced lug on the upper part of the pedestal; and a boltthrough said lug and the groove of the upper cam.

2. In a device of the nature disclosed, the combination of: a pedestalhaving a chamber extendin downwardly from its upper end; a seat memberhaving bearings on said pedestal and provided with a post extendingdownwardly into said chamber; means for preventing vertical movement ofsaid seat member; a follower mounted for axial translation in saidchamber below said post and maintained against rotation therein; andcompression means urging said follower forcefully against said post, thecooperating surfaces of said follower and said post being so formed thatupon rotation of the seat the follower will be depressed against thecompression of the compression means and upon release of said seat saidcompression means will function to automatically elevate said followerand restore said seat to normal position and yieldingly maintain it innormal position.

8. In a device of the nature disclosed, the combination of: a pedestalhaving a chamber extending downwardly from its upper end; a seat memberhaving bearings on said pedestal and provided with a post extendingdownwardly into said chamber, the lower end of said post providing aninclined cam surface; means for preventing vertical movement of saidseat member; a follower mounted for axial translation in said chamberbelow said post and maintained against rotation therein, said followerhaving an inclined cam surface on its upper end cooperating with the camsurface of said post; and compression means yieldingly urging saidfollower against said 90st.

4. In a device 0 the nature disclosed, the combination of: a pedestalhaving a chamber extending downwardly from its upper end; a seat memberhaving bearings on said pedestal and provided with a post extendingdownwardly into said chamber, said post having its lower surfacetransversely inclined upwardly from a lower terminal point; means forpreventing vertical movement of said seat member; a follower mounted foraxial translation in said chamber below said post and maintained againstrotation therein, said follower having an upper surface transverselyinclined downwardly from an upper terminal point and disposed normallyin the same plane as the inclined lower surface of said post; andcompressionmeans yieldingly urging said follower against said post.

5. In a device of the nature disclosed, the combination of: a pedestalhaving a chamber extending downwardly from its upper end; a seat memberhaving bearings on the upper end of said pedestal and provided with apost extending downwardly into said chamber, the lower end of said postproviding an inclined cam surface; means for preventing verticalmovement of said seat member; a follower mounted for axial translationin said chamber below said post and maintained against rotation therein,said follower having an upper surface formed to cooperate with the camsurface of said post; and compression means yieldingly urging saidfollower against said post.

6. In a device of the nature disclosed, the combination of: a pedestalhaving a chamber extending downwardly from its upper end; a seat memberhaving hearings on the upper end of said pedestal and provided with apost extending downwardly into said chamber, said post having its lowersurface transversely inclined upwardly from a lower ter minal point;means for preventing vertical movement of said seat member; a followermounted for axial translation in said chamber below said post andmaintained against rotation therein, said follower having an uppersurface formed to cooperate with the inclined lower surface of saidpost; and compression means yieldingly urging said follower against saidpost.

7 In a rotatable stool, the combination of: a base having a chamber; aseat member rotatable on said base; means for preventing verticalmovement of said seat member; a cam means mounted on said seat member; ashaft extending from said seat member into said chamber; and normalizingmeans including a follower slidably mounted on said shaft and engageablewith said cam means, said normalizing means being adapted to resilientlymaintain said seat in normal position.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 3rd day of September, 1926.

PETER MADSEN.

